LANSING, Mich., November 28, 2017 – This morning, the Detroit News published allegations that Congressman John Conyers sexually harassed a 2nd female employee. According to Deanna Maher, who served on Conyers staff from 1997 to 2005, the Congressman made unwanted sexual advances including groping her legs and propositioning to have sex with her on three separate occasions. When asked why she didn’t report the misconduct, Maher told the paper “I didn’t report the harassment because it was clear nobody wanted to take it seriously. John Conyers is a powerful man in Washington, and nobody wanted to cross him.” Maher told reporters in the past about the allegations, but did not go public out of fear of reprisal.

“Deanna Maher’s story of sexual harassment at the hands of a powerful Congressman is heartbreaking,” said Sarah Anderson, Communications Director for the Michigan Republican Party. Anderson continued “Like so many victims of sexual misconduct, the fear of reprisal from her attacker kept her silent. Her fear that there was no one she could turn to allowed Congressman Conyers to get away with these crimes and later, to strike again. How many more victims need to come forward before Debbie Stabenow, Nancy Pelosi, Gretchen Whitmer, Jocelyn Benson and the Michigan Democrats demand Conyers resignation?”

Allegations of sexual misconduct have been swirling around the Congressmen since Buzzfeed News reported that in 2014 the Congressman gave $27,000 to an employee who has accused him of sexual harassment. In a violation of house rules the former employee was rehired by the Congressman as a “ghost employee” where she was paid as a staffer but did no work.